As is known, personal computers (PC) and laptop computers include audio processing circuitry. Such audio processing circuitry allows a computer to play CDs, DVDs, etc. and produce audible sound therefrom. Current PCs and laptop computers include three audio jacks to facilitate the processing of audio. The three jacks are typically labeled line-in, microphone, and line-out. The line-in audio jack receives analog audio signals from external devices such as a CD player, cassette player, etc. The audio processing circuitry receives the analog audio signals converts the analog signals into digital signals, which can be manipulated by the computer. The audio processing circuitry also receives digital audio signals from the computer, converts them to analog signals, and provides the analog signals to speakers via the line-out jack. The digital audio signals may also be received via playback of a CD, an internal CD driver, etc. The audio processing circuitry may also receive analog audio signals via the microphone audio jack and convert these analog signals into digital audio signals for processing by the computer.
Typically, a computer will include an audio codec to facilitate the processing of audio signals. As is known, an audio codec receives analog signals and converts them to digital signals and receives digital signals and converts them to analog signals. While the audio codec provides a wide variety of audio processing functions, it does not provide tone control. As is known, tone control allows for the adjusting of amplitudes of analog signals within certain frequency ranges. As is also known, the audio frequency range is generally between 20 Hz to 20 KHz, which may be divided into multiple components. For example, bass component signals are generally signals having frequencies less than 200 Hz and treble component signals are generally signals having frequencies greater than 4 Khz.
To enhance a user enjoyment of computer audio and to compensate for imperfections in low-end speakers' ability to accurately reproduce music, it is desirable to provide tone control. Therefore, a need exists for a computer audio system that provides tone control options.